SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments.
Panorea Avdis, 33, of Sacramento, has been appointed chief deputy director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). Avdis has been chief of staff to Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna since 2010. She was director of external affairs at the California Department of Housing and Community Development from 2007 to 2010 and was a project manager at AKT Development Corporation from 2004 to 2007. Avdis served in multiple positions in the Office of Governor Gray Davis from 1998 to 2003, including advance staff and special assistant to the Governor. She is a custodian of archives for Governor Gray Davis and is a member of the board of directors of the Truman Club, the Hellenic Outreach Program at California State University, Sacramento, the Tsakopoulous Hellenic Foundation and the Hellenic Senior Center. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $113,004. Avdis is a Democrat.
Carolyn Nordstrom, 44, of Woodland, has been appointed enterprise project management officer at the California State Lottery. Nordstrom has been a manager at KPMG LLP since 2007. She was a manager at Eskell Porter Consulting from 2001 to 2007 and at Solutions West Consulting from 1997 to 2000. Nordstrom was an academic advisor in mechanical and aeronautical engineering at the University of California, Davis from 1995 to 1997 and a program representative for the U.C. Davis Extension from 1990 to 1995. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $110,580. Nordstrom is a Republican.
Francis Scott Swift, 38, of Fair Oaks, has been appointed internet program manager at the California State Lottery. Swift has been chief executive officer of Celer Technica since 2002. He was a consultant for RHI Consulting from 1998 to 2002, a programmer for Construction Computer Systems from 1996 to 1998 and a technical analyst and programmer for Liikkuva Systems International from 1995 to 1996. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $79,260. Swift is a Republican.
Alex Traverso, 36, of Sacramento, has been appointed assistant deputy director of corporate communications at the California State Lottery. Traverso has served in this position since 2008. Previously, he was communications director for Assemblymember Lloyd Levine from 2006 to 2008, deputy press secretary for Assemblymember Fabian Nuñez from 2004 to 2006, public relations manager for the California Expositions and State Fair from 2003 to 2004 and assistant press secretary for Governor Gray Davis from 1999 to 2003. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $81,372. Traverso is a Democrat.